Airport Accepts Burbank Condition on Size of Terminal; Submits New Application for P.U.C. Review by City

Authority OK’s 250,000 Sq. Ft., 14-Gate Terminal – Urges City to Act on Plan Before B-6 Property Is Sold

BURBANK, Calif., August 14, 2000 — The Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority today voted to accept the City of Burbank’s proposed size of 250,000 sq. ft. for a replacement passenger terminal, and followed the move by submitting a new application for the City’s “P.U.C.” review process to allow the project to move ahead.

“We’re trying hard to find reasonable middle ground while there is still time to do so,” said Authority President Carl Meseck. He noted that the Authority’s legal agreement with Burbank last fall requires the Authority to sell the property needed for the terminal because there was no final development agreement for a terminal project by a May 24, 2000 deadline.

“We can still salvage the terminal project if we can reach an agreement before the property sells,” Meseck said.

In a letter to Burbank Mayor Bill Wiggins transmitting the new PUC application, Meseck appealed to the City Council to act on the application in a timely manner.

“Bill, I hope you and your colleagues will agree that we should have the elements of an agreement in place at this point,” he wrote.

Meseck cited numerous concessions by the Authority intended to address community concerns about the future effects of the airport:

The Authority has agreed to no new aircraft gates and only a modest increase in terminal area from the present 170,000 sq. ft. to 250,000 sq. ft., as proposed by the City.

The Authority has accepted the City’s demand that a curfew be in place before a new terminal can be built.

The Authority has accepted the City’s condition that there be payments from the airport in lieu of the lost property taxes from the former Lockheed B-6 site.

The City Council would be guaranteed total control over the future fate of airport terminal facilities under the Authority’s application.

“Ideally, the Authority would have liked to secure a terminal closer to the 330,000 sq. ft. we negotiated with Mayor Murphy and Councilman Golonski a year ago in the Framework for Settlement, and I hope our willingness to give Burbank all of its deal points on the curfew and size of the building shows the determination of the Authority to reach agreement,” Meseck said.